Beautiful southwest scenery in the fall on the Deer Creek trail

Deer Creek Trail Hike, Escalante Wilderness

Hiking the Escalante Wilderness in Utah is a treat – especially the Deer Creek Trail. On a trip to southwestern Utah we decided to do the Deer Creek trail hike after hearing that the unsigned trail was supposed to be easy to follow. The trailhead was only about seven miles from where we were staying in Boulder – just off the Burr Trail – an exceptionally scenic road that is well worth investigating at the end of the hike.

The Deer Creek trail is obvious for most of the route. And it’s easy to get your bearings if you veer off since trees line the creek – and they’re the only big ones for miles around.

Welcome to Grand Staircase- Escalante sign
Welcome sign to Grand Staircase- Escalante National Monument

Would you like to save this?

We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!

The Deer Creek trailhead is a short distance away 
The Deer Creek trailhead is a short distance away

Deer Creek trail hike description

The trailhead for the Deer Creek hike was obvious because of a campground – appropriately named the Deer Creek Campground. We started just across from it.

Heading off we had no real idea of what we were getting into and how long the Deer Creek trail might be. In theory, we knew you could hike all the way to the Escalante River – but this is canyon country and we didn’t know if we’d need ropes to accomplish that.

And we hadn’t had our day of canyoneering yet so I was still circumspect about getting in over our heads.

Fantastic show of fall colours early on the trail
Fantastic show of fall colours early on the Deer Creek trail
Hiking through grasses
Hiking through grasses
Pretty sweet start to the Deer Creek Trail hike
Pretty sweet start to the Deer Creek Trail hike

The unmarked Deer Creek trail is easy to follow

As it turned out the Deer Creek Trail really was easy to follow. In fact we were tempted to go and hike up some of the nearby hills on the slickrock that is so prevalent in the area.

But we didn’t – more because of the heat – about 85°F in mid-October and we hadn’t brought enough water.

Looking down into the colourful canyon
Looking down into the colourful canyon from the Deer Creek Trail
The canyon walls get really big
The canyon walls get really big in short order
Crossing a dry wash on the Deer Creek Trail in the Escalante Wilderness
Crossing a dry wash in the Escalante Wilderness
Didn't expect to find so much water on the Deer Creek trail
Didn’t expect to find so much water on the Deer Creek trail

Enjoy beautiful canyon scenery

As we continued along the Deer Creek trail the canyon walls grew bigger and bigger. Not only that but our world started to narrow. We got to the point where we had no choice but to turn around or wade through the water.

So wade we did – in water so cold our feet hurt within seconds of being in it.

We continued for about 15 more minutes from where we had slipped on the Tevas. John was a little disappointed that I wasn’t feeling more adventurous and in hindsight perhaps we should have explored further.

I thought it was better to be safe than sorry. And the debris left from an obviously recent flash flood had my imagination working overtime. We retraced our steps and found a lovely lunch spot in the shade with canyon views that were nothing short of spectacular.

And then we did some nearby exploring of the rock below and found a petroglyph.

Wading the numbing waters of Deer Creek
Wading the numbing waters of Deer Creek
Exploring Deer Creek
Exploring Deer Creek
Glorious lunch spot
Glorious lunch spot
All manner of exploring on the rocks if you're up for it
All manner of exploring on the rocks if you’re up for it
John looking for and finding petroglyphs
John looking for and finding petroglyphs
Fall is a great time to hike the trail
Fall is a great time to hike the trail
Sandy walking near the start and end of the Deer Creek Trail
Sandy walking near the start and end of the Deer Creek Trail

Time needed for the Deer Creek Trail hike

All told the hike took us about four hours including a long lunch stop and several breaks in the shade just to admire the scenery. We saw a total of three people – all within the first half mile of the car.

The Deer Creek trail hike certainly gave you the sense of being out there and if we’d had decent maps and more canyoneering skills I think we could have explored further.

Looking for cool water at the end of the hike and found this
Looking for cool water at the end of the hike and found this

Another nearby hiking option

Another hike we had thought we’d do but decided against it because of the afternoon heat was The Gulch – just four miles further up the Burr Trail. It takes you up Long Canyon and can be hiked in either direction. Instead we enjoyed a drive of the Burr Trail from the air conditioned comfort of our car. But we have a reason now to return.

Tips for hiking the Deer Creek Trail in Utah’s Escalante Wilderness

Water: Carry at least 3 litres.

Be sun smart: Bring a wide-brimmed hat and lather up with sunscreen.

Don’t forget: Always carry the 10 hiking essentials.

Please: Leave a note – with someone or at the very least in your car on where you plan to hike. Always practice the 7 Leave No Trace principles.

Weather: Keep an eye on the weather. Canyons are prone to flash floods.

Where to eat: At the end of the Deer Creek trail hike, I highly recommend a meal at Hell’s Backbone Grill and Farm.

Location map of the Deer Creek Trail

 

More hikes in Utah I bet you’ll love

Click on the photo to bookmark to your Pinterest boards.

The Deer Creek Trail hike in Utah's Grand Staircase Escalante Wilderness

Check Out These Next

12 Comments

  1. With all the natural beauty in the world, it’s hard to think of any place with more spectacular scenery than Utah. What a great trail you found. The part of the trail through a “rock and a hard place” looks pretty exciting.

  2. You and I have very different ideas of what a “trail” is. In my books, once you’re wading down the middle of a river, you’ve left the trail. As usual though, you’ve found some beautiful back country. Hope your feet have thawed back out by now.

  3. Another beautiful post, Leigh. We head south tomorrow to Arizona and because we’ve decided to drive instead of fly we have plenty of room for our hiking boots. . .the question will be: did they ever see the light of day or did they rest comfortably in the car’s trunk for several weeks? You’ve inspired me to use them!

    1. @Jackie You’ll end up finding some marvelous little spot that has just the right length of hike. You’ll be able to explore a part of the world not accessible to those who don’t get out of the car – and voila – you’ll be hooked.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.